Aarushi murder: 'No scope for further investigations'

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special judicial magistrate (SJM) court witnessed three hours of gruelling arguments on Tuesday between the CBI counsels and Dr Rajesh Talwar's lawyers over CBI's 31-page closure report and a subsequent 85-page protest petition filed by Talwar in Aarushi-Hemraj murder case.

No outsiders were allowed inside the court room during Tuesday's hearings and senior police officials were deployed to prevent outsiders' entry during hearings.

Later, CBI counsel RK Saini told HT that he told the court that there was no scope left for further investigations in the case and the case investigating-officer filed his closure report after highlighting certain weaknesses.

Counsel said all aspect of the closure report and its contra report (the protest-petition) filed by Dr Rajesh Talwar were argued upon during Tuesday's hearings.

"The scene of crime was heavily dressed up. No outsiders or servants were involved," Saini said.

"Circumstantial evidence points that only parents could be involved. Now it is up to the court to decide upon the closure report after hearing the arguments," Saini added.

On the other hand, Talwar's lawyers argued that case investigations had loop holes which are self contradictory in the closure report.

"The CBI argued as if Dr Talwar is an accused and CBI was defending a chargesheet against him," Talwar's lawyer Praveen Rai told HT.

Talwar's lawyers also vouched for much needed advanced technique like the Low Copy Number (LCN) DNA tests of exhibits which were collected from the scene of crime.

In contradiction, Saini said: "Experts and forensic-labs have ruled out a possibility of LCN-DNA tests at this stage as the exhibits are already contaminated. Four foreign labs were contacted and three have denied any positive outcome. Fourth is not a recognised lab."

The court is likely to pronounce its judgement over the closure report on Wednesday, lawyers said.